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Top 10 Conservative Idiots #6-12: Screw U, Next Edition
Last edited Tue Apr 2, 2019, 05:02 PM - Edit history (1)
Top 10 Conservative Idiots #6-12: Screw U, Next Edition
Welcome back to the Top 10 Conservative Idiots. Act now and get 4 free phones on our best ever unlimited 4G LTE plan! What’s up Tampa, you guys doing good? Yeah after what happened on Sunday I’m kind of in a fuck everything mood. Hey, same as I was the day after the election! But I don’t want to talk about that. Instead I want to talk about streaming services. Do we really need another one? And more importantly do we need a teaser for another one I’m not going to watch? We already live in a time in which there’s too much television. It’s impossible to keep up. In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, Apple announced that *THEY* are launching yet another streaming service with original content. That's in addition to the 800,000,000 streaming services with original content that are in the works. I mean pretty soon they'll just be making shows for an audience of one. Hey Joe, we made this show just for you! If you don't like it, we wasted millions on the production! And if that wasn’t enough, Apple can now be your bank! I mean shit, also do we really need another credit card? There’s too much of that too. Then there’s Apple’s programming. Sure, some of it sounds interesting but then there’s really not a whole lot that is being shown. Just it’s getting to be too damn much. Yeah I know I sound like someone who is technologically impaired, but you know what? Fuck it. Apple getting into the TV game is like a restaurant calling itself "Fat Sal's" getting into the health food game. You don't go to Fat Sal's for a kale and chicken salad, no. You go to Fat Sal's for the giant pastrami and roast beef sandwiches topped with french fries and mozzarella sticks! You go to Apple not for original content or credit cards, but the devices to watch the original content on! Although Apple if you’re interested in getting into the news comedy game, may I recommend the Top 10 Conservative Idiots? We’re relatively cheap to produce since we have a budget of 0, and I’m available whenever you want! We also show up on Google Images so we have an audience! OK that’s enough of the intro. We have a lot of idiocy to get to but first Bill Maher is back and he discusses the topic of unnecessary upgrading:
God where do we begin for this week? Well in the first slot of course is the guy who we currently call president, Donald J. Trump (1). So it’s the end of the Mueller report as we know it and I feel fine, just like the song suggests! In the third slot this week, is Devin Nunes, and I couldn’t love this story more, he is suing Twitter for an ungodly amount of money over an account called “Devin Nunes’ Cow” which now has more followers than he does! Taking the fourth slot this week, we got to ask what’s up with Brexit (4) because the deadline is fast approaching, and neither party can come to a conclusion as to what they can do with the UK leaving the EU. Is it too late to start over? In the fifth slot this week, we’re going to do a new feature called “This Week In Hate Radio” (5), because since the Mueller Report and the Christchurch shooting, they’ve been pouring the crazy extra strong lately. In the sixth slot this week is Top 10 Investigates, and this week we’re going to take a look at free speech on college campuses in regards to Trump’s executive order – is it really a thing or is it a non issue? We’re leaning toward the latter. At number 7 this week is our weekly visit to the Holy Church Of The Top 10 in “Holy Shit”, and should we really be praying for brutal dictators? Our resident pastor will examine this issue after Brazil’s Bolsonaro visits the Dark One. In the 8th slot this week is a new “Beating A Dead Horse” and conservative commentators are really escalating their violent rhetoric in regards to a second Civil War. Will it happen? Probably not. In the number 9 (NEIN!!!) slot this week, we have a new People Are Dumb, and since we’re in Florida, we’re going to do an all Florida Man edition in response to last week’s Florida Man challenge! And finally this week it’s time for Stupidest State Round 1 Week 3! We’re live in Utah for the 3rd round action as Florida takes on Montana to play Idaho in the Gun Nut championship, while Michigan goes for broke against hot newcomer Alaska to play Wisconsin in the Fiscal Irresponsibility championship! Plus we have some live music from the Dirty Heads! Enjoy! And as always don’t forget the key!
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br] B
Yeah… so the Mueller report is over. But come on people, did you really expect impeachment? And did you really expect Jared, Ivanka, Eric, and Don Jr to be indicted? Oh wait, they’re all under separate investigations. Well, there’s plenty of reasons that Trump will go down or continue to shoot himself in the foot. So now what are the long lasting effects of the Mueller report? Sure, Trump says one thing and his supporters repeat it until they’re blue in the face, but did they actually read the report? I’m guessing no, because if they even read so much past the words “no collusion”, they would have seen this.
Special counsel Robert Mueller did not find evidence that President Trump's campaign conspired with Russia to influence the 2016 election, according to a summary of findings submitted to Congress by Attorney General William Barr.
"The Special Counsel's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election," Barr wrote in a letter to leaders of the House and Senate judiciary committees on Sunday afternoon.
That was despite "multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign," he wrote.
However, Mueller's investigation did not take a position on whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to frustrate the ongoing investigation.
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/24/706318191/trump-white-house-havent-seen-or-been-briefed-on-mueller-investigation-report
"The Special Counsel's investigation did not find that the Trump campaign or anyone associated with it conspired or coordinated with Russia in its efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. presidential election," Barr wrote in a letter to leaders of the House and Senate judiciary committees on Sunday afternoon.
That was despite "multiple offers from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign," he wrote.
However, Mueller's investigation did not take a position on whether Trump obstructed justice by trying to frustrate the ongoing investigation.
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/24/706318191/trump-white-house-havent-seen-or-been-briefed-on-mueller-investigation-report
And there is still that possibility. In fact I’m willing to bet that Trump didn’t read past the words “no collusion”. You know kind of like when you’re reading through a textbook and all you see is the keyword answer and you don’t read the whole sentence. Of course you get it wrong on the test! And you know what? We may never know what’s on the report because despite that Congress voted 455 – 0 to release the full report!
The world got its first glimpse on Sunday into the investigation that has cast a cloud over Donald Trump's presidency.
After two days reading through Special Counsel Robert Mueller's confidential report, Attorney General William Barr sent a letter to Congress offering a summary of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible links to Trump's campaign.
In Barr's letter, he said that no proof was found that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia but said no decision was made over whether the president obstructed justice. Barr said that Mueller's office left that charging decision to him and the Justice Department.
"The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,'" the letter states, quoting from the special counsel investigation.
Barr added that after review, he and Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein "have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/23/robert-mueller-report-heres-what-we-know-and-dont-know/3251011002/
After two days reading through Special Counsel Robert Mueller's confidential report, Attorney General William Barr sent a letter to Congress offering a summary of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and possible links to Trump's campaign.
In Barr's letter, he said that no proof was found that the Trump campaign conspired with Russia but said no decision was made over whether the president obstructed justice. Barr said that Mueller's office left that charging decision to him and the Justice Department.
"The Special Counsel states that 'while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it also does not exonerate him,'" the letter states, quoting from the special counsel investigation.
Barr added that after review, he and Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein "have concluded that the evidence developed during the Special Counsel's investigation is not sufficient to establish that the President committed an obstruction-of-justice offense."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2019/03/23/robert-mueller-report-heres-what-we-know-and-dont-know/3251011002/
Well, we still hope that Trump will join George Bluth in prison. Hey, they can share a cell, just remember that there’s no touching! So this may excuse Trump of the crime of colluding with a hostile foreign power but it doesn’t really excuse him for the hundreds of other crimes that he’s under investigation for, so he may be celebrating a bit prematurely. Because of course he does. But that doesn’t mean that he’s entirely off the hook yet.
Back in February 2018, special counsel Robert Mueller's team of prosecutors brought charges against 13 Russian individuals and three Russian businesses for their alleged role in what one of the accused had allegedly described as "information warfare" -- a sophisticated influence operation targeting the 2016 presidential election. But it wasn't until almost a year later that Mueller's team revealed that those weren't the only suspected trolls the U.S. government had in its sights.
In a court filing arguing against sharing "sensitive" information with some of the defendants, Mueller’s team said in January that some of the information it had “identifies uncharged individuals and entities that the government believes are continuing to engage in operations that interfere with lawful U.S. government functions like those activities charged in the indictment.”
Two months later, no other suspects have been charged, and a senior Justice Department official told ABC News Friday that Mueller was not recommending any more indictments -- presumably including for the suspected Russians. So now that Mueller's investigation has concluded, what fate awaits them?
Experts told ABC News Saturday that just because Mueller is done, it doesn’t mean the Russians are in the clear legally, depending on how the U.S. government wants to proceed.
“Charges involving other trolls could be brought by other [Department of Justice] offices, whether a U.S. attorney’s office or main Justice,” Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and lecturer at George Washington University, said.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/robert-mueller-report-finished-alleged-russian-trolls/story?id=61892357
In a court filing arguing against sharing "sensitive" information with some of the defendants, Mueller’s team said in January that some of the information it had “identifies uncharged individuals and entities that the government believes are continuing to engage in operations that interfere with lawful U.S. government functions like those activities charged in the indictment.”
Two months later, no other suspects have been charged, and a senior Justice Department official told ABC News Friday that Mueller was not recommending any more indictments -- presumably including for the suspected Russians. So now that Mueller's investigation has concluded, what fate awaits them?
Experts told ABC News Saturday that just because Mueller is done, it doesn’t mean the Russians are in the clear legally, depending on how the U.S. government wants to proceed.
“Charges involving other trolls could be brought by other [Department of Justice] offices, whether a U.S. attorney’s office or main Justice,” Randall Eliason, a former federal prosecutor and lecturer at George Washington University, said.
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/robert-mueller-report-finished-alleged-russian-trolls/story?id=61892357
Yeah probably. But as we’ve seen time and time again there’s nothing we can do to solve America’s current deep divide. As the GOP’s current favorite punching bag, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez points out, impeaching Trump is not going to be the solution to everything. There’s still plenty of problems that we have to sort out before we can get America back on track.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) called President Donald Trump “horrific,” but said on Sunday that he was just a symptom of “much deeper problems” facing the nation.
“He can stay, he can go. He can be impeached, or voted out in 2020,” she wrote on Twitter, then added:
“But removing Trump will not remove the infrastructure of an entire party that embraced him; the dark money that funded him; the online radicalization that drummed his army; nor the racism he amplified + reanimated.”
Ocasio-Cortez said those deeper problems included income inequality, racism, corruption and a willingness to excuse bigotry. And those, she wrote, can’t be fixed with an election:
In order for us to heal as a nation, we ALL must pursue the hard work of addressing these root causes.
It’s not as easy as voting. It means having uncomfortable moments convos w/ loved ones, w/ media, w/ those we disagree, and yes - within our own party, too.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-trump-symptom_n_5c98612fe4b057f7330c97e8
“He can stay, he can go. He can be impeached, or voted out in 2020,” she wrote on Twitter, then added:
“But removing Trump will not remove the infrastructure of an entire party that embraced him; the dark money that funded him; the online radicalization that drummed his army; nor the racism he amplified + reanimated.”
Ocasio-Cortez said those deeper problems included income inequality, racism, corruption and a willingness to excuse bigotry. And those, she wrote, can’t be fixed with an election:
In order for us to heal as a nation, we ALL must pursue the hard work of addressing these root causes.
It’s not as easy as voting. It means having uncomfortable moments convos w/ loved ones, w/ media, w/ those we disagree, and yes - within our own party, too.
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-trump-symptom_n_5c98612fe4b057f7330c97e8
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[font size="8"]Donald Trump
[br] [/font] [br]
You know it’s a fucked up week when Trump tells a deceased war veteran and career senator like John McCain to go fuck himself, and it’s not the craziest thing that happened. In fact think of it like Ariana Grande’s smash hit song “Thank U, Next”, only this is Trump telling his opponents “Screw U, Next”. Now he’s going after everyone because he watches way too much Fox News and they’re actively telling him that Obamacare is a bad thing. So to retaliate, Trump is turning up the crazy extra hard this week. How low is he going?
Senator John McCain of Arizona passed away at the age of 81 last August, and days later, he was honored during a funeral at the Washington National Cathedral. And now, President Donald Trump — who previously mocked McCain for, of all things, being a former prisoner of war — has made it clear that he would like to be thanked for the late senator’s funeral service.
Trump made his surprising-but-then-again-when-you-think-of-it-not-surprising remark about McCain during a Wednesday event at a manufacturing facility in Ohio. Surrounded by tanks and American flags, Trump told the crowd about McCain: “I have to be honest, I’ve never liked him much. Hasn’t been for me.” He then brought up the Steele dossier (you know the one he’s referring to), stating that the late senator received it and “he didn’t call me. He turned it over to the FBI to put me in jeopardy.”
By far the most bizarre part of his rant came later, when Trump expressed clear bitterness about the fact that no one had thanked him for McCain’s funeral, which he wasn’t even invited to.
“I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve,” he said. “I don’t care about this, I didn’t get, ‘Thank you,’ but that’s okay. We sent him on the way, but I wasn’t a fan of John McCain.”
https://www.thecut.com/2019/03/donald-trump-john-mccain-funeral-thank-you-ohio.html
Trump made his surprising-but-then-again-when-you-think-of-it-not-surprising remark about McCain during a Wednesday event at a manufacturing facility in Ohio. Surrounded by tanks and American flags, Trump told the crowd about McCain: “I have to be honest, I’ve never liked him much. Hasn’t been for me.” He then brought up the Steele dossier (you know the one he’s referring to), stating that the late senator received it and “he didn’t call me. He turned it over to the FBI to put me in jeopardy.”
By far the most bizarre part of his rant came later, when Trump expressed clear bitterness about the fact that no one had thanked him for McCain’s funeral, which he wasn’t even invited to.
“I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president I had to approve,” he said. “I don’t care about this, I didn’t get, ‘Thank you,’ but that’s okay. We sent him on the way, but I wasn’t a fan of John McCain.”
https://www.thecut.com/2019/03/donald-trump-john-mccain-funeral-thank-you-ohio.html
Of course not, dipshit! It’s a funeral! Nobody thanks anybody for a funeral, especially the person in the casket! And Trump’s the kind of asshole who would slap a terms of service agreement on a funeral. You know that. “OK… the deceased can be buried if thanks are given at the following time of day of the week ending on the 26th… “. But even the National Cathedral is coming out against what Trump is saying about the funeral. That’s how fucked up this is – the place that held it has to give PR now!
The Washington National Cathedral disputed President Trump's claim that he had to "approve" the funeral of the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
"Washington National Cathedral was honored to host the funeral service for Senator John McCain. All funerals and memorial services at the Cathedral are organized by the family of the deceased; only a state funeral for a former president involves consultation with government officials," a cathedral spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill on Thursday.
"No funeral at the Cathedral requires the approval of the president or any other government official," he added.
President Trump said on Wednesday in Ohio that he gave McCain "the kind of funeral that he wanted."
“I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president, I had to approve,” he told a crowd at an Ohio event. “I don’t care about this, I didn’t get 'thank you.' That’s OK. We sent him on the way, but I wasn’t a fan of John McCain.”
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/435152-national-cathedral-says-trump-didnt-need-to-give-approval-for
"Washington National Cathedral was honored to host the funeral service for Senator John McCain. All funerals and memorial services at the Cathedral are organized by the family of the deceased; only a state funeral for a former president involves consultation with government officials," a cathedral spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill on Thursday.
"No funeral at the Cathedral requires the approval of the president or any other government official," he added.
President Trump said on Wednesday in Ohio that he gave McCain "the kind of funeral that he wanted."
“I gave him the kind of funeral that he wanted, which as president, I had to approve,” he told a crowd at an Ohio event. “I don’t care about this, I didn’t get 'thank you.' That’s OK. We sent him on the way, but I wasn’t a fan of John McCain.”
https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/435152-national-cathedral-says-trump-didnt-need-to-give-approval-for
And then it shifted from attacks on McCain to attacks on the husband of his top advisor Kellyanne Conway, and really, did he have to go there? Oh who am I kidding? Of course he did! He’s the husband from hell everyone, and he’s also the president! Hey o!!! Thank you I’m here all week, don’t forget to tip your waitress!
Kellyanne Conway’s spouse is a “husband from hell!” President Donald Trump declared Wednesday, escalating his awkward public fight with the husband of one of his closest advisers. A “whack job,” he added later.
Trump’s feud with George Conway played out with ever more heated rhetoric on social media. Conway, an attorney who has questioned Trump’s mental health, fired back after Trump’s latest tweet, saying the president seems “determined to prove my point.”
The caustic exchanges also drew a response from Kellyanne Conway, the longtime Republican pollster who served as Trump’s third campaign manager before joining the administration as a counselor to the president.
Conway, who is considered one of Trump’s top advisers and is a high-profile face on television defending him, told Politico that Trump had avoided targeting her husband for months “out of respect for me.” But she added: “You think he shouldn’t respond when somebody, a non-medical professional, accuses him of having a mental disorder? You think he should just take that sitting down?”
http://time.com/5554883/trump-tweets-attack-george-conway/
Trump’s feud with George Conway played out with ever more heated rhetoric on social media. Conway, an attorney who has questioned Trump’s mental health, fired back after Trump’s latest tweet, saying the president seems “determined to prove my point.”
The caustic exchanges also drew a response from Kellyanne Conway, the longtime Republican pollster who served as Trump’s third campaign manager before joining the administration as a counselor to the president.
Conway, who is considered one of Trump’s top advisers and is a high-profile face on television defending him, told Politico that Trump had avoided targeting her husband for months “out of respect for me.” But she added: “You think he shouldn’t respond when somebody, a non-medical professional, accuses him of having a mental disorder? You think he should just take that sitting down?”
http://time.com/5554883/trump-tweets-attack-george-conway/
And by the way if you wonder if there is a sinister motive behind the 2020 elections, have no fear because George Conway is here to do some Trumpsplaining to you guys! Of course there’s a sinister motive behind Trump’s 2020 reelection bid. I mean did you really expect anything less? I know that I don’t!
George Conway said Friday that President Trump "thinks he needs to be re-elected to avoid being indicted," taking another public shot on Twitter at the president.
Conway, who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, came under attack from Trump this week after Conway questioned the president's mental fitness — a jab he made again on Friday.
The two have engaged in a bitter fight over Twitter and in presidential interviews with reporters all week.
“THINK about the fact that we don’t just have a mentally unstable president—but a president who thinks he needs to be re-elected to avoid being indicted. (At least in that one respect his thinking is clear.),” Conway tweeted.
The president is currently under investigation on an array of fronts, though it is far from clear he'll be indicted for anything.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/435267-george-conway-extends-trump-feud-trump-thinks-he-needs-to-be-re
Conway, who is married to White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, came under attack from Trump this week after Conway questioned the president's mental fitness — a jab he made again on Friday.
The two have engaged in a bitter fight over Twitter and in presidential interviews with reporters all week.
“THINK about the fact that we don’t just have a mentally unstable president—but a president who thinks he needs to be re-elected to avoid being indicted. (At least in that one respect his thinking is clear.),” Conway tweeted.
The president is currently under investigation on an array of fronts, though it is far from clear he'll be indicted for anything.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/435267-george-conway-extends-trump-feud-trump-thinks-he-needs-to-be-re
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[font size="8"]What’s Up With Brexit?
[br] [/font] [br]
You know the last time we checked in with Brexit was when we actually visited England last December (see: [link=https://www.democraticunderground.com/100211543778 | Idiots #5-23]), and it was crazy then. But the deadline for the UK to withdraw from the EU is this week. This week!!! Yes, so the deadline is this Thursday and they *STILL* can’t come to a conclusion. And there’s no possible scenario in which the UK comes out ahead in this. None. It’s going to be impossible to unpack all of this in four days and they may just wind up saying “fuck it”. So what happened while we were all watching basketball?
This was supposed to be the week when, for better or worse, Britain's Brexit future finally started to take shape.
This Friday, March 29, was the deadline etched into law as well as the minds of many Brits — the date they were finally set to leave the European Union.
But with British politics deep in uncharted waters, even that has been postponed. Because of an 11th-hour extension agreed to by Prime Minister Theresa May and European leaders last week, Brexit won't happen until at least April 12.
A delay, but far from a solution. All of the same problems that have reduced Brexit to chaos and quagmire still hang over this divided country.
On Monday, the European Commission said it was "increasingly likely" the U.K. will crash out of the E.U. without a deal. A "no-deal Brexit" does have some supporters, but many experts see it as a nightmare scenario that could blight the economy and bring shortages of food, medicine and basic supplies.
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/brexit-referendum/brexit-latest-european-commission-says-no-deal-brexit-increasingly-likely-n986851
This Friday, March 29, was the deadline etched into law as well as the minds of many Brits — the date they were finally set to leave the European Union.
But with British politics deep in uncharted waters, even that has been postponed. Because of an 11th-hour extension agreed to by Prime Minister Theresa May and European leaders last week, Brexit won't happen until at least April 12.
A delay, but far from a solution. All of the same problems that have reduced Brexit to chaos and quagmire still hang over this divided country.
On Monday, the European Commission said it was "increasingly likely" the U.K. will crash out of the E.U. without a deal. A "no-deal Brexit" does have some supporters, but many experts see it as a nightmare scenario that could blight the economy and bring shortages of food, medicine and basic supplies.
https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/brexit-referendum/brexit-latest-european-commission-says-no-deal-brexit-increasingly-likely-n986851
This really is Anarchy In The UK for real! You ever stop and think that maybe the ultimate goal in all of these elections – going back to Duterte, Erdogan, Trump, Brexit, Bolsonaro, that the goal was complete and total chaos? Just whatever can we do to upset the established order? They got this week to figure shit out and they can’t even do that!
The drama of last night's vote in UK Parliament and the prospect of indicative votes tomorrow has thrust Oliver Letwin, the architect of the plan, into the spotlight.
Letwin is far from a household name -- but tomorrow, he will take control of the order paper in Parliament away from the government for the first time in living memory. So who is he?
Letwin is the Conservative MP for West Dorset, and voted Remain in the 2016 referendum. He is a veteran parliamentarian and known as something of a political fixer. He was an aide to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and was a government minister under David Cameron.
Under Cameron's premiership, he helped maintain the relationship with the Conservatives' then coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats. He wrote the party's 2010 election manifesto -- its program for government.
https://edition.cnn.com/uk/live-news/brexit-latest-26-march-gbr-intl/index.html
Letwin is far from a household name -- but tomorrow, he will take control of the order paper in Parliament away from the government for the first time in living memory. So who is he?
Letwin is the Conservative MP for West Dorset, and voted Remain in the 2016 referendum. He is a veteran parliamentarian and known as something of a political fixer. He was an aide to former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and was a government minister under David Cameron.
Under Cameron's premiership, he helped maintain the relationship with the Conservatives' then coalition partners, the Liberal Democrats. He wrote the party's 2010 election manifesto -- its program for government.
https://edition.cnn.com/uk/live-news/brexit-latest-26-march-gbr-intl/index.html
I mean really at this point does anyone else to expect Parliament to stage a full Delta House style walkout with the Liberal Democrats humming “God Save The Queen” as they exit the House Of Commons? Anyone OK with that? Because that’s exactly what I picture happening on March 29th at midnight when neither party can come to a conclusion.
LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Theresa May will address her Conservative lawmakers on Wednesday, possibly to announce a resignation date in a last throw of the dice to win support for her twice-rejected Brexit deal in parliament.
At her weakest after parliament seized control of Brexit on Monday, May has yet to give up hope of getting approval for her deal to leave the European Union, which she says is the only way of ensuring an orderly exit that will safeguard business.
Parliament’s move seemed to have focused minds, with some eurosceptic lawmakers saying they could back her plan before choosing a new leader for the next phase of talks with the EU. But as yet her Northern Irish powerbrokers are still opposed.
One lawmaker from her Conservative Party said the prime minister’s decision to address the party’s so-called 1922 Committee at 1700 GMT on Wednesday suggested she could set her date of departure to win over that support.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu/weaker-than-ever-uk-pm-may-tries-to-force-her-brexit-deal-through-idUSKCN1R70V6
At her weakest after parliament seized control of Brexit on Monday, May has yet to give up hope of getting approval for her deal to leave the European Union, which she says is the only way of ensuring an orderly exit that will safeguard business.
Parliament’s move seemed to have focused minds, with some eurosceptic lawmakers saying they could back her plan before choosing a new leader for the next phase of talks with the EU. But as yet her Northern Irish powerbrokers are still opposed.
One lawmaker from her Conservative Party said the prime minister’s decision to address the party’s so-called 1922 Committee at 1700 GMT on Wednesday suggested she could set her date of departure to win over that support.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu/weaker-than-ever-uk-pm-may-tries-to-force-her-brexit-deal-through-idUSKCN1R70V6
&t=20s
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[font size="8"]Devin Nunes
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I couldn’t love this next story more. So of course you’ve probably heard by now that California representative Devin Nunes (R-obviously) has had a Twitter beef with his own cow. Or at least an account called @DevinCow (of which by the way, the Top 10 is a follower of now). And since we all know that republicans have no sense of humor, to the point which they fail to understand or grasp the concept of a joke, what do they do? Well, Devin sued Twitter for a whopping $250 million – yes, it seems that’s everyone’s price right now is a QUARTER OF A BILLION dollars. In fact here’s how all of this went down.
Consider this: A parody account pretending to be an imaginary cow owned by Representative Devin Nunes, the California Republican, is more popular on Twitter than the congressman, a day after he sued the account (and Twitter) for $250 million.
This is how politics and humor now play out in the strange world of social media.
The parody account @DevinCow had only 1,200 followers on Monday, but it ended Wednesday afternoon with 467,000, surpassing Mr. Nunes’s account with its 395,000 followers.
And the count was still growing. By Thursday evening, after news coverage, the gap had widened, with the fake cow at 600,000 followers.
But there’s more. A website now sells Devin Cow T-shirts. Twitter users have been celebrating with cow-themed items and jokes. Even Mr. Nunes’s fellow legislators showed their support for the errant beast. Ted Lieu, a Democratic congressman from Southern California, told Mr. Nunes on Twitter to “lighten up, dude.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/us/politics/nunes-devincow-twitter.html
This is how politics and humor now play out in the strange world of social media.
The parody account @DevinCow had only 1,200 followers on Monday, but it ended Wednesday afternoon with 467,000, surpassing Mr. Nunes’s account with its 395,000 followers.
And the count was still growing. By Thursday evening, after news coverage, the gap had widened, with the fake cow at 600,000 followers.
But there’s more. A website now sells Devin Cow T-shirts. Twitter users have been celebrating with cow-themed items and jokes. Even Mr. Nunes’s fellow legislators showed their support for the errant beast. Ted Lieu, a Democratic congressman from Southern California, told Mr. Nunes on Twitter to “lighten up, dude.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/20/us/politics/nunes-devincow-twitter.html
Yes, maybe Devin should take a page from Bart Simpson here. Don’t have a cow. And I love that the account went from just barely toppling 1,000 viewers to over half a million! Oh and guess what? He’s not done yet! In fact there might be more lawsuits against Twitter for “defamation of character”. I mean really? Has he not been on the internet?
Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) promised that he would file more lawsuits to “come after” people who “defame” him and other politicians on Twitter.
Nunes made the remarks during an interview with Mark Levin, where he discussed his lawsuit against Twitter. It was pointed out by The Democratic Coalition, a left-leaning PAC, on Wednesday evening.
“Sorry you just don’t get to defame politicians and put it out on Twitter anymore,” the California lawmaker said. “I mean, you can do it. But I’m gonna come after you.”
Nunes filed a lawsuit against Twitter earlier this week, seeking $250 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages, alleging that conservatives were being “shadow banned.” He also pointed to several parody accounts that were made “for the sole purpose of attack, defaming, disparaging, and demeaning” him. Fox News first reported on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also seeks to have the identities of those running the parody accounts released.
https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/devin-nunes-twitter-come-after/
Nunes made the remarks during an interview with Mark Levin, where he discussed his lawsuit against Twitter. It was pointed out by The Democratic Coalition, a left-leaning PAC, on Wednesday evening.
“Sorry you just don’t get to defame politicians and put it out on Twitter anymore,” the California lawmaker said. “I mean, you can do it. But I’m gonna come after you.”
Nunes filed a lawsuit against Twitter earlier this week, seeking $250 million in compensatory damages and $350,000 in punitive damages, alleging that conservatives were being “shadow banned.” He also pointed to several parody accounts that were made “for the sole purpose of attack, defaming, disparaging, and demeaning” him. Fox News first reported on the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also seeks to have the identities of those running the parody accounts released.
https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/devin-nunes-twitter-come-after/
You think that's bad, wait until he gets a hold of this show! Bye everyone, it was nice knowing you! Yeah we make fun of Devy a lot on this show, and I’m sure he hates being called Devy. But this might be my new favorite thing. Devin is really showing what thin skins republicans have. But here’s the thing I love when people start fucking with the political process and showing what thin skins politicians have.
By Michael Andor Brodeur Globe Correspondent March 22, 2019
These are strange times. A town in Minnesota is mourning the death of its dog mayor. A town in Vermont just elected a goat. A colicky pomeranian sits in the White House. And on Twitter — where everything gets even stranger — a Congressman’s cow is moo-nopolizing all the attention.
You may have heard that California Representative Devin Nunes announced a $250 million defamation lawsuit he filed against Twitter as well as three users — Republican strategist Liz Mair, and two parody accounts: the now-suspended @DevinNunesMom and @DevinCow.
Nunes’s suit claims that Twitter is “shadow-banning” conservatives and conservative content, knowingly hosting abusive content (otherwise known as “Twitter”), ignoring complaints about abusive content, and failing to self-regulate and “thereby selectively amplifying the message of defamers such as Mair, Devin Nunes’ Mom and Devin Nunes’ cow.”
(It also manages to casually toss in that the mean amplified-cow-tweeting “illustrates the desperate and cowardly attempt to manufacture evidence of ‘collusion’ where none exists.” What were we talking about again?)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2019/03/22/devin-nunes-sues-twitter-and-internet-has-cow/kmmEZGuXITWxOIFwRkHf9N/story.html
These are strange times. A town in Minnesota is mourning the death of its dog mayor. A town in Vermont just elected a goat. A colicky pomeranian sits in the White House. And on Twitter — where everything gets even stranger — a Congressman’s cow is moo-nopolizing all the attention.
You may have heard that California Representative Devin Nunes announced a $250 million defamation lawsuit he filed against Twitter as well as three users — Republican strategist Liz Mair, and two parody accounts: the now-suspended @DevinNunesMom and @DevinCow.
Nunes’s suit claims that Twitter is “shadow-banning” conservatives and conservative content, knowingly hosting abusive content (otherwise known as “Twitter”), ignoring complaints about abusive content, and failing to self-regulate and “thereby selectively amplifying the message of defamers such as Mair, Devin Nunes’ Mom and Devin Nunes’ cow.”
(It also manages to casually toss in that the mean amplified-cow-tweeting “illustrates the desperate and cowardly attempt to manufacture evidence of ‘collusion’ where none exists.” What were we talking about again?)
https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/2019/03/22/devin-nunes-sues-twitter-and-internet-has-cow/kmmEZGuXITWxOIFwRkHf9N/story.html
Yes, Mr. Nunes, please don’t have a cow. But even better is that Stephen Colbert managed to get in on the trolling by owning Devin with just a two word tweet. Yes, you heard that correctly, they can be owned in just two words, that’s how thin their skins are. I mean really guys, time to grow up!
A lawsuit by Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, aimed at Twitter and some of its users for alleged defamation and negligence, has led to a huge spike in followers for one of the parody accounts he targeted. Now, late night host Stephen Colbert has taken it a step further by creating another parody account aimed at the Republican California congressman.
The $250 million lawsuit mentions two anonymous parody accounts, "Devin Nunes' Mom" and "Devin Nunes' Cow."
After the announcement, the Devin Nunes' Cow account went from 1,200 followers on Monday, according to Newsmax, to 278,000 as of late Tuesday night.
Colbert jumped on board Tuesday night and said he had created a new parody account called "Devin Nunes' Skin."
"There’s nothing in Twitter’s terms of service that says you can’t have a parody account. That’s why it is totally legal for us to make @devinnunesskin. This is a real account, an actual account where you can find such announcements as ‘still thin,'" Colbert said.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/stephen-colbert-trolls-devin-nunes-with-new-parody-twitter-account/507-30e26abc-978e-486f-b8dc-67438891bad6
The $250 million lawsuit mentions two anonymous parody accounts, "Devin Nunes' Mom" and "Devin Nunes' Cow."
After the announcement, the Devin Nunes' Cow account went from 1,200 followers on Monday, according to Newsmax, to 278,000 as of late Tuesday night.
Colbert jumped on board Tuesday night and said he had created a new parody account called "Devin Nunes' Skin."
"There’s nothing in Twitter’s terms of service that says you can’t have a parody account. That’s why it is totally legal for us to make @devinnunesskin. This is a real account, an actual account where you can find such announcements as ‘still thin,'" Colbert said.
https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/stephen-colbert-trolls-devin-nunes-with-new-parody-twitter-account/507-30e26abc-978e-486f-b8dc-67438891bad6
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[font size="8"]THIS WEEK IN HATE
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It’s time for:
Conservatives love to project, and whatever they project is not necessarily what the other side is guilty of, it’s what they’re guilty of themselves. Case in point: HATE. And there has been a lot of it going around in the last five years or so. Since we started doing the Top 10. So what we’re going to do instead is compile some of the best, or worst depending on which way you look at it, of some of the talking points going around in the hate radio sphere. If there’s one thing the GOP loves to do, it’s rub salt in the wound. And while we’re all licking our wounds from the Mueller Report, they’re spinning it this way.
Right-wing commentator Josh Bernstein posted a video on Friday night in which he celebrated the news that Special Counsel Robert Mueller had delivered his report on Russian interference in the 2016 election to the Justice Department. Despite the fact that nothing was known about the findings of Mueller’s report at the time that Bernstein posted his video, he nonetheless celebrated by donning a party hat, blowing a party horn, drinking a beer … and calling for Hillary Clinton to face the guillotine.
“Liberals of America, are you feeling a little butthurt right now?” he laughed, before slipping into baby talk. “You didn’t get any collusion. Awww, poor babies. All I can say is they called John Gotti the Teflon Don; well, guess what? Donald Trump is the Teflon Don. He’s untouchable, baby! Untouchable.”
After proposing a toast to “every liberal scumbag in America,” Bernstein declared that members of the media should be required to pay back the millions of dollars the government spent on the special counsel investigation or else “should be fined for lying, assassination of character.”
Bernstein then demanded to know whether Attorney General William Barr has the “balls” to go after the people he believes to be the real criminals, such as Hillary Clinton.
“Does Barr have a set of balls or not?” he said. “That’s what we need to find out. Because the real investigations need to start now. We need to see people go down for the crimes that were committed. And Hillary Clinton—you sick, lying, dying witch of a woman—you should be first in line at the guillotines, as far as I’m concerned.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/josh-bernstein-hillary-clinton-should-be-first-in-line-at-the-guillotines/
“Liberals of America, are you feeling a little butthurt right now?” he laughed, before slipping into baby talk. “You didn’t get any collusion. Awww, poor babies. All I can say is they called John Gotti the Teflon Don; well, guess what? Donald Trump is the Teflon Don. He’s untouchable, baby! Untouchable.”
After proposing a toast to “every liberal scumbag in America,” Bernstein declared that members of the media should be required to pay back the millions of dollars the government spent on the special counsel investigation or else “should be fined for lying, assassination of character.”
Bernstein then demanded to know whether Attorney General William Barr has the “balls” to go after the people he believes to be the real criminals, such as Hillary Clinton.
“Does Barr have a set of balls or not?” he said. “That’s what we need to find out. Because the real investigations need to start now. We need to see people go down for the crimes that were committed. And Hillary Clinton—you sick, lying, dying witch of a woman—you should be first in line at the guillotines, as far as I’m concerned.”
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/josh-bernstein-hillary-clinton-should-be-first-in-line-at-the-guillotines/
Yeah BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! You know they really are obsessed with other people’s balls aren’t they? And I mean they couldn’t be any more insane. Especially since Rush Limbaugh channeled his inner Alex Jones and suggested that the Christchurch shooting was – wait for it – a false flag! Ooh, oh they love them some false flag analogies don’t they?
Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh suggested without evidence on Friday that the attack at two mosques in New Zealand may have been a false flag, sharing "an ongoing theory" that a suspect in the attack "may in fact be a leftist."
"There is an ongoing theory — [producer Bo] Snerdley, correct me if I’m wrong about this — there’s an ongoing theory that the shooter himself may in fact be a leftist who writes the manifesto and then goes out and performs the deed purposely to smear his political enemies, knowing he’s gonna get shot in the process," Limbaugh said on his show. "You can’t immediately discount this."
"The left is this insane. They are this crazy. And if that's exactly what the guy's trying to do then he's hit a home run," the host added before referencing a report on Fox News on a monitor in his studio. "Because right there on Fox News: 'The shooter is an admitted white nationalist who hates immigrants.'"
"You try to absorb all of this to try to keep some sort of an even keel about it," Limbaugh added. "And then from the manifesto again itself, the shooter says he’s not a conservative, not a Christian and that he identifies as an eco-fascist, which would make him a supporter of the Green New Deal. He adds that he disagrees with Trump on politics."
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/434351-limbaugh-suggests-without-evidence-that-new-zealand-attacker-is-a-leftist
"There is an ongoing theory — [producer Bo] Snerdley, correct me if I’m wrong about this — there’s an ongoing theory that the shooter himself may in fact be a leftist who writes the manifesto and then goes out and performs the deed purposely to smear his political enemies, knowing he’s gonna get shot in the process," Limbaugh said on his show. "You can’t immediately discount this."
"The left is this insane. They are this crazy. And if that's exactly what the guy's trying to do then he's hit a home run," the host added before referencing a report on Fox News on a monitor in his studio. "Because right there on Fox News: 'The shooter is an admitted white nationalist who hates immigrants.'"
"You try to absorb all of this to try to keep some sort of an even keel about it," Limbaugh added. "And then from the manifesto again itself, the shooter says he’s not a conservative, not a Christian and that he identifies as an eco-fascist, which would make him a supporter of the Green New Deal. He adds that he disagrees with Trump on politics."
https://thehill.com/homenews/media/434351-limbaugh-suggests-without-evidence-that-new-zealand-attacker-is-a-leftist
That is a good point Taylor! Of course Limbaugh didn’t have any evidence to support his claim. This is the 2019 GOP, facts don’t matter! they also haven’t mattered And in case you’re wondering which side God is on, look no further than our old buddy Dave Daubenmire. Yeah I don’t have to tell you how many times we’ve covered his nonsense in the Top 10 but who buys the shit he’s selling. Well, hopefully no one, if that empty stadium backdrop he preaches in front of is any indication.
On his “Pass The Salt Live” webcast this morning, Religious Right activist Dave Daubenmire reacted to the news that, according to Attorney General William Barr, Robert Mueller’s special counsel investigation reportedly found no evidence of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia during the 2016 election by declaring that this development shows that “the Lord has his hand on the Trump administration.”
“Do you understand that the entire media, the entire deep state, the CIA, the intelligence agencies, the political parties, all of that has conspired against Donald Trump and they failed?” Daubenmire said. “Do you understand the magnitude? Don’t you understand that there is some type of hedge, some type of protection around Donald Trump?”
Daubenmire said that despite the fact that “all the powers of hell” had come together to take down Trump, they couldn’t do it.
“All of those forces couldn’t find anything,” he said. “Oh, Mueller probably found he cheated on his taxes and they probably found that he had other women. They probably found some stuff on him, but the reality of it is their intention was to overthrow the American government. All the forces of darkness [attempted] to overthrow the American government … and here we stand two and a half years later and they failed!”
“The Lord has his hand on the Trump administration and I can’t explain it and I don’t know why,” Daubenmire concluded.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dave-daubenmire-mueller-report-shows-the-lord-has-his-hand-on-the-trump-administration/
“Do you understand that the entire media, the entire deep state, the CIA, the intelligence agencies, the political parties, all of that has conspired against Donald Trump and they failed?” Daubenmire said. “Do you understand the magnitude? Don’t you understand that there is some type of hedge, some type of protection around Donald Trump?”
Daubenmire said that despite the fact that “all the powers of hell” had come together to take down Trump, they couldn’t do it.
“All of those forces couldn’t find anything,” he said. “Oh, Mueller probably found he cheated on his taxes and they probably found that he had other women. They probably found some stuff on him, but the reality of it is their intention was to overthrow the American government. All the forces of darkness [attempted] to overthrow the American government … and here we stand two and a half years later and they failed!”
“The Lord has his hand on the Trump administration and I can’t explain it and I don’t know why,” Daubenmire concluded.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/dave-daubenmire-mueller-report-shows-the-lord-has-his-hand-on-the-trump-administration/
Now this is the type of thing that I would save for Holy Shit, but our pastor is far busier with other matters! Well, this week, anyway. And by the way, in case you’re wondering where this is all headed, just look none other than conspiracy theorist and haggard middle school band teacher who just got off his shift, Frank Gaffney, whose manifesto sounds just like that of serial killers or active shooters everywhere. What? No, that’s not a good thing! Why can’t conspiracy theories ever be used for good things?
Frank Gaffney, executive chairman of the anti-Muslim hate group Center for Security Policy, joined Breitbart News editor-in-chief Alex Marlow this morning on SiriusXM Patriot’s “Breitbart News Daily.” Less than a week after the Christchurch massacre, he resumed his scaremongering that Muslims are trying to take over their societies—something expressed repeatedly in portions of the Christchurch terrorist’s alleged manifesto.
“You cannot assimilate vast numbers of people who simply don’t want to be part of your society. They want to transform it into something very different and ultimately at some point you either resist or you submit,” Gaffney said. “Submission is going to be pretty ugly, and it’s happening in parts of Europe already.”
He continued, “It’s not simply a problem in its own right, it’s a foretaste of what the Ilhan Omars and the Keith Ellisons and the André Carsons, Rashida Tlaibs and so on, would have in mind for America, too, if they had their way. This is the really vexing problem of our time.”
Marlow addressed the “Soros-funded freaks” listening to the program, and said that by acknowledging that there are Muslims who don’t want to implement Sharia law in the U.S. they were clear of charges of promoting bigotry. Gaffney had just said that there are Muslims who don’t want to impose Sharia law in America but that “enough of them do” that it needs to be confronted.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/frank-gaffney-sounds-a-lot-like-the-christchurch-shooters-manifesto/
“You cannot assimilate vast numbers of people who simply don’t want to be part of your society. They want to transform it into something very different and ultimately at some point you either resist or you submit,” Gaffney said. “Submission is going to be pretty ugly, and it’s happening in parts of Europe already.”
He continued, “It’s not simply a problem in its own right, it’s a foretaste of what the Ilhan Omars and the Keith Ellisons and the André Carsons, Rashida Tlaibs and so on, would have in mind for America, too, if they had their way. This is the really vexing problem of our time.”
Marlow addressed the “Soros-funded freaks” listening to the program, and said that by acknowledging that there are Muslims who don’t want to implement Sharia law in the U.S. they were clear of charges of promoting bigotry. Gaffney had just said that there are Muslims who don’t want to impose Sharia law in America but that “enough of them do” that it needs to be confronted.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/frank-gaffney-sounds-a-lot-like-the-christchurch-shooters-manifesto/
That’s it for:
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[font size="8"]Top 10 Investigates: Free Speech On Campus
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It’s time to investigate beyond the headlines. This is Top 10 investigates!
Free speech on campus. Is it under attack? The president of the United States seems to think so and his alarmist and extremist nature would seem to think that it is that way. But in reality, to use one of his favorite phrases, it’s a colossal nothing burger. Free speech is not under attack, people are free to say as they please. But if they start spewing bile and hatred, they will have something bad happen to them, it’s just human nature. Ask Michael Jackson. But what is their underlying motive? Why do they all of a sudden care about this issue when they didn’t 5 years ago? The answer is a lot more complex than you might think.
Exactly a year ago, at a forum for millennial Republicans at the White House, President Trump was asked by Charlie Kirk, the founder of the conservative youth group Turning Point USA, what he made of recent controversies involving the free-speech rights of conservatives on college campuses. “You go to the real campuses, and you go all over the country, you go out to the Middle West, you go out even to the coast in many cases, we have tremendous support,” he replied breezily, brushing off the purported crisis.“I would say we have majority support. I think it’s highly overblown. Highly overblown.”
He has since been better at sticking to the script. In a White House ceremony on Thursday afternoon, Trump signed an executive order barring colleges that are deemed unduly restrictive of free speech from receiving federal funds—a move that was previewed in the President’s speech to this year’s CPAC conference, earlier this month, and in a tweet that he posted in early 2017, in response to protests that had broken out at U.C. Berkeley over a scheduled appearance by the right-wing agitator Milo Yiannopoulos: “If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?”
“Under the guise of speech codes, safe spaces, and trigger warnings,” Trump said on Thursday, “these universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity, and shut down the voices of great young Americans like those here today. All of that changes starting right now.”
One of the young Americans who was invited to speak at the signing ceremony was Ellen Wittman, of Miami University in Ohio, who had run a pro-life group on campus. “Universities are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas,” she said solemnly during her turn at the lectern. “They should be encouraging free speech, not shutting it down.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/current/trumps-free-speech-executive-order-and-the-rights-fixation-with-campus-politics
He has since been better at sticking to the script. In a White House ceremony on Thursday afternoon, Trump signed an executive order barring colleges that are deemed unduly restrictive of free speech from receiving federal funds—a move that was previewed in the President’s speech to this year’s CPAC conference, earlier this month, and in a tweet that he posted in early 2017, in response to protests that had broken out at U.C. Berkeley over a scheduled appearance by the right-wing agitator Milo Yiannopoulos: “If U.C. Berkeley does not allow free speech and practices violence on innocent people with a different point of view - NO FEDERAL FUNDS?”
“Under the guise of speech codes, safe spaces, and trigger warnings,” Trump said on Thursday, “these universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity, and shut down the voices of great young Americans like those here today. All of that changes starting right now.”
One of the young Americans who was invited to speak at the signing ceremony was Ellen Wittman, of Miami University in Ohio, who had run a pro-life group on campus. “Universities are supposed to be marketplaces of ideas,” she said solemnly during her turn at the lectern. “They should be encouraging free speech, not shutting it down.”
https://www.newyorker.com/news/current/trumps-free-speech-executive-order-and-the-rights-fixation-with-campus-politics
Except that they probably don’t. Conservative attacks on campus free speech have nothing to do with safe spaces or “trigger warnings”. They have everything to do with hate, and spreading white nationalist ideals, much of which had been shut down decades ago. But what happens when campuses start shunning ideals that they do not see as pure? One only has to look as far as the president’s favorite university, Liberty University, to see how far this goes.
When President Trump issued an executive order last week dealing with campus free speech, he was joined by conservative students who complained their rights had been trampled by liberal censorship.
One of the earliest backers of the Trump executive order was Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., who has frequently called out the alleged "silencing" of conservative college students.
“The president is right to stop our government from handing out taxpayer dollars to subsidize institutions that practice censorship -- regardless of whether that censorship is used against those on the left or the right,” he wrote in a Fox News opinion column earlier this month.
No college president is more closely identified with the president than Falwell, who invited Trump to give a 2017 commencement address at Liberty and has frequently attacked the president’s critics in the media and on Twitter. He’s also claimed unique credentials on campus speech, having declared in the past that Liberty promotes free expression “unlike many major universities where political correctness prevents conservative students from speaking out.”
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/03/25/jerry-falwell-key-trump-ally-falls-short-big-talk-free-speech-critics-say
One of the earliest backers of the Trump executive order was Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr., who has frequently called out the alleged "silencing" of conservative college students.
“The president is right to stop our government from handing out taxpayer dollars to subsidize institutions that practice censorship -- regardless of whether that censorship is used against those on the left or the right,” he wrote in a Fox News opinion column earlier this month.
No college president is more closely identified with the president than Falwell, who invited Trump to give a 2017 commencement address at Liberty and has frequently attacked the president’s critics in the media and on Twitter. He’s also claimed unique credentials on campus speech, having declared in the past that Liberty promotes free expression “unlike many major universities where political correctness prevents conservative students from speaking out.”
https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2019/03/25/jerry-falwell-key-trump-ally-falls-short-big-talk-free-speech-critics-say
Yes, Liberty University has been actively censoring opposing opinions, and it is the stuff of pure evil, but that’s what they want. It’s all about power and they want absolute power. And they’re going to get it if they have to make the rest of us miserable. But this is igniting a debate that no one really wants to talk about but we must. How far is too far to go for free speech? They are certainly testing the limits.
In a move that appeared aimed at what some view as a growing trend of political correctness on college campuses, President Trump signed an executive order Thursday to bar federal research grants to institutions that don't "avoid creating environments that stifle competing perspectives."
The president promised earlier this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that he would do something about what he called a political climate on liberal college campuses that chills discourse. His executive order conditions research funding on "compliance with the First Amendment" and directs federal agencies to ensure that institutions receiving federal research or education grants "promote free inquiry."
During the signing ceremony at the White House, Trump specifically called out "professors and power structures" that keep young Americans from "challenging rigid far-left ideology," and lamented that many universities have become "increasingly hostile" to free speech.
"We will not stand idly by and allow public institutions to violate their students' constitutional rights," Trump said. "If a college or university doesn't allow you to speak, we will not give them money. It's very simple."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/22/705739383/trump-and-universities-in-fight-over-free-speech-federal-research-funding
The president promised earlier this month at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that he would do something about what he called a political climate on liberal college campuses that chills discourse. His executive order conditions research funding on "compliance with the First Amendment" and directs federal agencies to ensure that institutions receiving federal research or education grants "promote free inquiry."
During the signing ceremony at the White House, Trump specifically called out "professors and power structures" that keep young Americans from "challenging rigid far-left ideology," and lamented that many universities have become "increasingly hostile" to free speech.
"We will not stand idly by and allow public institutions to violate their students' constitutional rights," Trump said. "If a college or university doesn't allow you to speak, we will not give them money. It's very simple."
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/22/705739383/trump-and-universities-in-fight-over-free-speech-federal-research-funding
Yes except that what the president doesn’t know is that universities already *HAVE* to adhere to first amendment standards or they will lose funding. And here’s the thing too – you can get up in a room and literally say anything. That doesn’t mean that people will pay attention to what you have to say, nor will they care. But what is this really about? It’s about power and hate. The power to hate.
President Donald Trump gleefully pressed on another culture war hot button Thursday afternoon, issuing an executive order that’s supposed to address allegedly serious threats to free speech on America’s college campuses.
The order itself does very little in practical terms: As my colleague Ella Nilsen explains, it basically amounts to reminding universities about existing law. But that doesn’t mean the order is insignificant.
It reflects, instead, the degree to which the conservative movement, joined by a few prominent anti–political correctness crusaders, has created a panic about the limitation of free speech on college campuses — as Trump demonstrated in his signing statement for the order.
“Under the guise of speech codes and safe spaces and trigger warnings, these universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity, and shut down the voices of great young Americans,” he said.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/3/21/18275839/trump-free-speech-executive-order-turning-point-usa
The order itself does very little in practical terms: As my colleague Ella Nilsen explains, it basically amounts to reminding universities about existing law. But that doesn’t mean the order is insignificant.
It reflects, instead, the degree to which the conservative movement, joined by a few prominent anti–political correctness crusaders, has created a panic about the limitation of free speech on college campuses — as Trump demonstrated in his signing statement for the order.
“Under the guise of speech codes and safe spaces and trigger warnings, these universities have tried to restrict free thought, impose total conformity, and shut down the voices of great young Americans,” he said.
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2019/3/21/18275839/trump-free-speech-executive-order-turning-point-usa
That’s it for Top 10 Investigates. Good day.
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[font size="8"]Holy Shit
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Gather around, my fair brothers and sisters of Tampa, it’s time to take a seat in the pew and pass the collection plate! For the Holy Church of the Top 10 has convened and it’s our weekly duty to remind you why the holiest among us are also the most full of:
My fair congregation! You know, we live in troubled times right now. But the question remains clear – who is really in charge? And why should we be praying for them? Now I may be forming an independent thought among the pastor community, but I think that prayers must be earned, and they must be going for good and not evil. Of course, those on the right believe that they are doing the work of the good LAWRD JAYSUS! But when you think about it, iron fist authoritarianism really goes against the good LAWRD’s doing. Or does it?
Jair Bolsonaro, Brazil’s right-wing president, visited President Trump in the White House on Tuesday and followed up his official business with a Christian Broadcasting Network interview and meeting with conservative religious leaders, including CBN’s Pat and Gordon Robertson. U.S. right-wing leaders had supported Bolsonaro’s campaign and celebrated his election as an answer to prayer.
At a Rose Garden press conference with Trump, Bolsonaro said, “Brazil and the United States stand side-by-side in their efforts to ensure liberties and respect the traditional family lifestyles and respect to God, our creator, against the gender ideology and the politically correct attitudes and against fake news.” (Trump said he was proud that Bolsonaro was using the term “fake news.”)
Bolsonaro told CBN correspondent George Thomas that his election was a “huge miracle” given that so much of the media was against him. Bolsonaro said he agrees with much of what Trump does, and in addition to that, “we are both Christians and are God-fearing men.”
CBN noted that Bolsonaro “has surrounded himself with well-known Brazilian evangelicals,” including influential pastor Silas Milafaia, who told CBN he believes Bolsonaro is God’s chosen man to lead Brazil. He praised Bolsonaro for opposing abortion and the “privilege” of the LGBT movement.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/brazils-bolsonaro-calls-election-a-miracle-sides-with-trump/
At a Rose Garden press conference with Trump, Bolsonaro said, “Brazil and the United States stand side-by-side in their efforts to ensure liberties and respect the traditional family lifestyles and respect to God, our creator, against the gender ideology and the politically correct attitudes and against fake news.” (Trump said he was proud that Bolsonaro was using the term “fake news.”)
Bolsonaro told CBN correspondent George Thomas that his election was a “huge miracle” given that so much of the media was against him. Bolsonaro said he agrees with much of what Trump does, and in addition to that, “we are both Christians and are God-fearing men.”
CBN noted that Bolsonaro “has surrounded himself with well-known Brazilian evangelicals,” including influential pastor Silas Milafaia, who told CBN he believes Bolsonaro is God’s chosen man to lead Brazil. He praised Bolsonaro for opposing abortion and the “privilege” of the LGBT movement.
http://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/brazils-bolsonaro-calls-election-a-miracle-sides-with-trump/
Yes, so our slide toward authoritarianism continues! Because it’s getting weird out there and it’s not just America, but fundamentalists around the world are celebrating the rise of fascism and dictatorship! Now is that a good thing? It most certainly is not!!! And by the way, where does support for these wannabe dictators come from? Well, you might be surprised!
In the 2016 presidential election, exit polling tells us, about 8 out of 10 white evangelicals who voted pulled the lever for Donald Trump. This information came as a disappointment to many and, to some, as further indication of the moral hypocrisy of white evangelicals.
Those who promote “family values,” espouse equality for all people and stand for biblical ethics chose to embrace a man whose words and actions often place him as the antithesis of all that evangelicalism supposedly represents.
The enthusiasm of white evangelical voters did not dissipate after the election, either. Throughout an administration rife with scams, grift and bigotry, this voting bloc has remained the most loyal to the president. But Trump’s white evangelical base shows signs of weakening.
A recently released report from the Pew Research Center shows that white evangelical support for the president has slipped but it remains strong.
https://religionnews.com/2019/03/19/white-evangelical-support-for-trump-comes-from-churchgoers-not-einos/
Those who promote “family values,” espouse equality for all people and stand for biblical ethics chose to embrace a man whose words and actions often place him as the antithesis of all that evangelicalism supposedly represents.
The enthusiasm of white evangelical voters did not dissipate after the election, either. Throughout an administration rife with scams, grift and bigotry, this voting bloc has remained the most loyal to the president. But Trump’s white evangelical base shows signs of weakening.
A recently released report from the Pew Research Center shows that white evangelical support for the president has slipped but it remains strong.
https://religionnews.com/2019/03/19/white-evangelical-support-for-trump-comes-from-churchgoers-not-einos/
And that is most certainly true! By the way, my fair congregation, we’re going to go global here for a minute and just expand on this. I mean… how do people like the Dark One and the Brazillian Dark One get elected? What is fueling this rise in hate and oppression all over the world and which the great United States is not immune from?
For months, Father José Alberto Idiáquez has received threats on Twitter, on WhatsApp and in phone calls. The aggressors say that the Jesuit university he runs in Nicaragua’s capital supports a coup against the government and that he has been inciting his students to protest.
On any given day, dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of armed police and paramilitary surround Universidad Centroamericana in Managua. They have been deployed to intimidate him and others, said Idiáquez, the rector.
Idiáquez has loudly condemned longtime President Daniel Ortega’s violent crackdown against a civil uprising that began last April and has led to more than 300 deaths and 2,000 injuries, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, mostly at the hands of national police and paramilitary gunmen. Many of Idiáquez’s students are opposition activists, and he has participated in marches himself and offered the campus as shelter for those fleeing gunfire.
“When you see them killing people, you have an obligation to protect someone who is defenseless,” he said in a phone interview.
As a result, he is now a target himself.
https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-nicaragua-priests-20190325-story.html
On any given day, dozens — and sometimes hundreds — of armed police and paramilitary surround Universidad Centroamericana in Managua. They have been deployed to intimidate him and others, said Idiáquez, the rector.
Idiáquez has loudly condemned longtime President Daniel Ortega’s violent crackdown against a civil uprising that began last April and has led to more than 300 deaths and 2,000 injuries, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, mostly at the hands of national police and paramilitary gunmen. Many of Idiáquez’s students are opposition activists, and he has participated in marches himself and offered the campus as shelter for those fleeing gunfire.
“When you see them killing people, you have an obligation to protect someone who is defenseless,” he said in a phone interview.
As a result, he is now a target himself.
https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-nicaragua-priests-20190325-story.html
Holy shit!!! Why yes, that is the name of this segment good sir! So… if you speak up, the trolls will come after you. It’s almost like a virus has been introduced in the matrix. I mean we could go all day on this topic. Why do evangelicals support the most unholy Dark One? He is the original deadly sin, he is all seven of them combined!!! And that in the eyes of the LAWRD shall not stand!!! Let’s ask an actual Christian scholar, shall we?
Seventy-one percent.
That’s the percentage of white evangelicals, according to a recent Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll, who still say they approve of Donald Trump’s presidency. That figure is down just 3 percent from April.
In the intervening months, Trump’s controversial migrant family separation plan scandalized faith groups by taking undocumented children from their families at the US-Mexico border, and several prominent evangelicals, including Franklin Graham, spoke out against the policy. But that seems to have figured little into evangelicals’ assessment of Trump overall.
Why do white evangelicals still support Trump in such strong numbers? And what will that mean for the upcoming midterms? I spoke to John Fea, a historian of American religion at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and author of Believe Me: the Evangelical Road to Donald Trump, about how Trump has galvanized his Christian base and about the “court evangelicals” who have traded their traditional moral ethos for access to one of the most powerful men in the world.
https://www.vox.com/2018/11/5/18059454/trump-white-evangelicals-christian-nationalism-john-fea
That’s the percentage of white evangelicals, according to a recent Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) poll, who still say they approve of Donald Trump’s presidency. That figure is down just 3 percent from April.
In the intervening months, Trump’s controversial migrant family separation plan scandalized faith groups by taking undocumented children from their families at the US-Mexico border, and several prominent evangelicals, including Franklin Graham, spoke out against the policy. But that seems to have figured little into evangelicals’ assessment of Trump overall.
Why do white evangelicals still support Trump in such strong numbers? And what will that mean for the upcoming midterms? I spoke to John Fea, a historian of American religion at Messiah College in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, and author of Believe Me: the Evangelical Road to Donald Trump, about how Trump has galvanized his Christian base and about the “court evangelicals” who have traded their traditional moral ethos for access to one of the most powerful men in the world.
https://www.vox.com/2018/11/5/18059454/trump-white-evangelicals-christian-nationalism-john-fea
There you have it, even the good LAWRD is facepalming at the fact that his followers support rising dictators. Mass has ended, may you go in peace!! That’s it this week for:
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[font size="8"]Beating A Dead Horse
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Conservatives have been upping their ante in the quest to start some violence against Trump’s opposition, especially now that the Mueller Report has come back as a nothing burger. Or nothing berder, depending on which way you look at it. For the first time since the mid 1850s, conservatives have been beating the possibility of a civil war against liberals and anyone who dares oppose their tyrannical path. So just how insane has it got? Well let’s ask everyone’s favorite, openly racist Iowa representative, Steve King.
A thistle to Rep. Steve King for sharing a Facebook post boasting red states would “win” a fight against blue states — and that they have “8 trillion bullets.”
King, whose appetite for public attention apparently can never be satiated, could earn himself a thistle nearly each week for his social media posts and remarks. He has long made Iowa a national embarrassment.
“Wonder who would win…” the Iowa Republican wrote in his post with a photo depicting Democratic-leaning states engaged in a fight with Republican-leaning states. “Folks keep talking about another civil war. One side has about 8 trillion bullets, while the other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use,” he wrote, apparently referencing gender-neutral bathrooms.
More: The Register's editorial: Steve King should resign for the good of Iowa
The Iowa congressman was stripped of committee assignments by House Republicans following remarks he made that were sympathetic to white supremacy. Making light of violence in this country, particularly gun violence, is yet another low. Hopefully voters in the 4th District will next year strip him of his congressional platform by finally booting him from office.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/03/21/steve-king-civil-war-gop-kim-reynolds-grassley-joni-ernst-immigration-wall-devos-school-vouchers/3205721002/
King, whose appetite for public attention apparently can never be satiated, could earn himself a thistle nearly each week for his social media posts and remarks. He has long made Iowa a national embarrassment.
“Wonder who would win…” the Iowa Republican wrote in his post with a photo depicting Democratic-leaning states engaged in a fight with Republican-leaning states. “Folks keep talking about another civil war. One side has about 8 trillion bullets, while the other side doesn’t know which bathroom to use,” he wrote, apparently referencing gender-neutral bathrooms.
More: The Register's editorial: Steve King should resign for the good of Iowa
The Iowa congressman was stripped of committee assignments by House Republicans following remarks he made that were sympathetic to white supremacy. Making light of violence in this country, particularly gun violence, is yet another low. Hopefully voters in the 4th District will next year strip him of his congressional platform by finally booting him from office.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/opinion/editorials/2019/03/21/steve-king-civil-war-gop-kim-reynolds-grassley-joni-ernst-immigration-wall-devos-school-vouchers/3205721002/
He’s actually… probably not wrong there. They might actually have 8 trillion bullets. We don’t know, we don’t know! And Steve King wasn’t the only guy who beat the Civil War drums this week – there was also the guy who we currently call president! Yes, remember his “Bikers For Trump” comment a couple of weeks ago? That didn’t age well!
Authoritarianism is a slip and a slide, inch by inch, as a leader slowly backs an SUV over the republic of which citizens handed him control. The goal is to move the window of what is acceptable to talk about slowly but decisively, until what you talked about becomes something that can be done. It might feel like the same old thing over and over, but there are new elements each time, a new outrage to digest until it becomes an old outrage and, ultimately, a part of life.
This has been a banner week for democratic backsliding. On Wednesday, Donald Trump, American president, gave an interview to Breitbart, the once-prominent right-wing content machine that was caught laundering white-nationalist propaganda into the mainstream. In the interview, he hits a familiar refrain—but ratchets things up a notch.
Leave aside, for a moment, the scattergun syntax and the deeply preposterous idea the Republican Benghazi Party doesn't like itself a congressional investigation. This is the real deal: Here is the president hinting his political opposition could be met with force if "they go to a certain point." What is the "certain point"? Impeachment? Defeating him in the 2020 presidential election? Merely continuing to investigate him in Congress?
He mentions Bikers for Trump, implying there are civilian groups who could use violence to protect him. This sounds familiar, and armed civilians have already taken to the streets, chanting his name and attacking people. He mentions police, who are tasked with keeping order in those streets, but whom he believes would back him in some nonspecific—but clearly defined—confrontation.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26827290/bikers-for-trump-military-political-violence-president/
This has been a banner week for democratic backsliding. On Wednesday, Donald Trump, American president, gave an interview to Breitbart, the once-prominent right-wing content machine that was caught laundering white-nationalist propaganda into the mainstream. In the interview, he hits a familiar refrain—but ratchets things up a notch.
Leave aside, for a moment, the scattergun syntax and the deeply preposterous idea the Republican Benghazi Party doesn't like itself a congressional investigation. This is the real deal: Here is the president hinting his political opposition could be met with force if "they go to a certain point." What is the "certain point"? Impeachment? Defeating him in the 2020 presidential election? Merely continuing to investigate him in Congress?
He mentions Bikers for Trump, implying there are civilian groups who could use violence to protect him. This sounds familiar, and armed civilians have already taken to the streets, chanting his name and attacking people. He mentions police, who are tasked with keeping order in those streets, but whom he believes would back him in some nonspecific—but clearly defined—confrontation.
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a26827290/bikers-for-trump-military-political-violence-president/
So never mind that Trump has his own army of heavily trained guards that protects him called, I don’t know, the Secret Service. Trump would rather have untrained, extremely pissed off yes men carrying out violent acts against his opponents. Yeah, let’s let that one sink in for a minute! And you know, in the words of the Simpsons’ Kent Brockman, who knows what spark will set off this powder keg?
Political analyst and legendary Watergate journalist Carl Berstein suggested President Donald Trump was sparking a “civil cold war” during his appearance on CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time on Friday.
Bernstein’s claim came following host Chris Cuomo’s proposal that Republicans and Trump’s base were unfazed by Michael Cohen’s claims that the president is a liar, racist and a cheat during his testimony to Congress earlier in the week.
“We are in a cold civil war in this country, and Trump has brought that cold civil war and every day brings it closer and closer to ignition,” Bernstein said. “And that is the great danger because everything he does plays to this base that is his way of staying in office, if he can stay in office and be re-elected.”
He added: “It’s all about that base. It’s not about uniting the American people as most previous presidents have tried to put together some kind of coalition with people in the center. Trump has made no attempt to do that.”
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-civil-war-bernstein-1349765
Bernstein’s claim came following host Chris Cuomo’s proposal that Republicans and Trump’s base were unfazed by Michael Cohen’s claims that the president is a liar, racist and a cheat during his testimony to Congress earlier in the week.
“We are in a cold civil war in this country, and Trump has brought that cold civil war and every day brings it closer and closer to ignition,” Bernstein said. “And that is the great danger because everything he does plays to this base that is his way of staying in office, if he can stay in office and be re-elected.”
He added: “It’s all about that base. It’s not about uniting the American people as most previous presidents have tried to put together some kind of coalition with people in the center. Trump has made no attempt to do that.”
https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-civil-war-bernstein-1349765
No, no, there’s no great battle here, Gramps. Just a bunch of mudflinging, name calling and hate being spewed back and forth on your favorite social media outlets. At least we can rest easier, despite the rhetoric and hate being turned up to 11, it’s really only a cold war. Don’t expect those 8 trillion bullets to be flying or bombs being dropped any time soon.
Are Americans separated into two irreconcilable partisan sides that instinctively love their fellow Democrats or Republicans but hate those in the other camp? This view, increasingly popular since the 2016 election, can leave the impression that partisans are unmovable by facts and logic, that they no longer want to associate with anyone on the other side, or that they would readily follow their leaders into battle against fellow citizens.
It is not a total myth. There is a real rise in negative partisanship: partisans rate the other party less favorably, reporting increasingly cold feelings. But when answering questions about the parties, citizens are thinking more about elites like Presidents Trump or Obama than about voters such as their own relatives. Negative partisanship is more closely tied to dislike of politicians than voter groups, though perceptions of voters in the other party are also negative. Many dislike both parties’ leaders and just find their own party more tolerable than the opposition.
When asked to explain what they dislike about the other party, voters mention its leaders a lot more than its voters. Even when voters do think of politics as a conflict between social groups, they usually discuss what groups are likely to benefit from each party’s policies (most commonly, Democrats saying Republicans are out to help the rich or hurt the middle class) rather than their disdain for the other half of the country.
The other dramatic indicator driving concern is the increasing number of partisans saying they would not approve of a child marrying someone from the other party. But one study found that many people disapprove of marriages to people described as either Democrats or Republicans because they expect partisans of either stripe to talk too much about politics. People also may express dislike of the other side as a form of team fandom — and in fact, Yankees and Red Sox fans also sometimes voice disapproval of their child marrying a fan of the wrong team.
https://www.salon.com/2019/03/25/no-civil-war-coming-believe-it-or-not-political-tribalism-in-america-is-overstated/
It is not a total myth. There is a real rise in negative partisanship: partisans rate the other party less favorably, reporting increasingly cold feelings. But when answering questions about the parties, citizens are thinking more about elites like Presidents Trump or Obama than about voters such as their own relatives. Negative partisanship is more closely tied to dislike of politicians than voter groups, though perceptions of voters in the other party are also negative. Many dislike both parties’ leaders and just find their own party more tolerable than the opposition.
When asked to explain what they dislike about the other party, voters mention its leaders a lot more than its voters. Even when voters do think of politics as a conflict between social groups, they usually discuss what groups are likely to benefit from each party’s policies (most commonly, Democrats saying Republicans are out to help the rich or hurt the middle class) rather than their disdain for the other half of the country.
The other dramatic indicator driving concern is the increasing number of partisans saying they would not approve of a child marrying someone from the other party. But one study found that many people disapprove of marriages to people described as either Democrats or Republicans because they expect partisans of either stripe to talk too much about politics. People also may express dislike of the other side as a form of team fandom — and in fact, Yankees and Red Sox fans also sometimes voice disapproval of their child marrying a fan of the wrong team.
https://www.salon.com/2019/03/25/no-civil-war-coming-believe-it-or-not-political-tribalism-in-america-is-overstated/
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[font size="8"]People Are Dumb
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Hit it!
I don’t know if you saw the Florida Man challenge this week, but because of that, and the fact that we’re in Florida, we’re doing a special all Florida man edition of “People Are Dumb”, because, you know why, audience! Thank you. And yes, at the end of this segment, we’ll reveal the dumb thing that Florida Man did on December 5th, the day of the Top 10’s anniversary. But I want to start with this minor league team out of Jacksonville, which is affiliated with the Miami Marlins. They’re called the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimps, and they are planning what may be one of my favorite baseball promotions of all time – because it’s Florida Man. Well, the Jumbo Shrimp are planning a Florida Man themed night and it is going to be truly magical.
When your team is named the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, you’re clearly not opposed to pushing the envelope to have a little fun. The latest example is a “Florida Man” promotional night where the Miami Marlins’ Double-A affiliate will “attempt to break a weird Florida law every inning.”
The game on July 26 will be sponsored by a law office and pays homage to all the wacky crimes that emerge from our beloved state.
The Jumbo Shrimp — yes, that’s their real oxymoronic name; they changed it after more than 50 years as the Jacksonville Suns — have not announced which specific laws they will break.
I mean, why tip off the fuzz, right?
This promotion has already gotten the team national attention from the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/fl-sp-florida-man-night-jacksonvillle-jumbo-shrimp-20190320-story.html
The game on July 26 will be sponsored by a law office and pays homage to all the wacky crimes that emerge from our beloved state.
The Jumbo Shrimp — yes, that’s their real oxymoronic name; they changed it after more than 50 years as the Jacksonville Suns — have not announced which specific laws they will break.
I mean, why tip off the fuzz, right?
This promotion has already gotten the team national attention from the likes of ESPN, Sports Illustrated and CBS.
https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-marlins/fl-sp-florida-man-night-jacksonvillle-jumbo-shrimp-20190320-story.html
?itemid=12769690
So that out of the way, let’s go to this story out of Seminole County, that’s Orlando don’t you know, where this guy robbed a liquor store wearing a Spiderman mask. But hey Spiderman is supposed to be a good guy! And I know that multiple Spiderman universes exist thanks to Into The Spiderverse, but really, come on, we need to do better people!!!
A liquor store just north of Orlando got a visit from Spider-Man back in January, only this web-slinger wasn’t of the friendly neighborhood variety.
Deputies said he’s the man who broke into Winn-Dixie Wine and Spirits in Casselberry, FL, wearing a Spider-Man mask to steal alcohol and cigarettes.
Deputy Bruce Milne responded to the burglary report. He immediately caught a break while reviewing surveillance footage.
The suspect first tried to open the store’s door without a mask on.
“To me, it was just a matter of absolute surprise that he would walk up to the door first, try to break in, and then it starts clicking in his head, ’Oh, I might get recognized if I do this without a mask on,’” Milne said.
Investigators said Wilburn went to a nearby thrift store where he found the Spider-Man mask.
https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Florida-man-dons-Spider-Man-mask-during-liquor-store-burglary-507385931.html
Deputies said he’s the man who broke into Winn-Dixie Wine and Spirits in Casselberry, FL, wearing a Spider-Man mask to steal alcohol and cigarettes.
Deputy Bruce Milne responded to the burglary report. He immediately caught a break while reviewing surveillance footage.
The suspect first tried to open the store’s door without a mask on.
“To me, it was just a matter of absolute surprise that he would walk up to the door first, try to break in, and then it starts clicking in his head, ’Oh, I might get recognized if I do this without a mask on,’” Milne said.
Investigators said Wilburn went to a nearby thrift store where he found the Spider-Man mask.
https://www.wkyt.com/content/news/Florida-man-dons-Spider-Man-mask-during-liquor-store-burglary-507385931.html
That is true! Next up, we go to Milton, Florida for this story. Look, I love a good fast food rage story, you know that. And hey when you’re drunk and you’re craving one food and can’t shake that craving, sure, I know what that is like! When you’re drunk, you got to have that one food and nothing else will satisfy you. But don’t bring violence into it, that is a no no.
A Florida man has been arrested and charged with battery after he allegedly pushed a woman who wouldn’t let him into her house to eat egg rolls.
Police in Milton, Florida, have said in an offense report that the suspect, 44-year-old Keith Johnson, arrived at the victim’s house drunk, demanding to come in so that he could eat the Chinese foodstuff.
ABC affiliate WEARTV reported that Johnson kept ringing the doorbell despite the complainant repeatedly telling him she wasn’t going to let him in and didn’t want him in her home.
The victim claimed eventually that she said she would come out to give Johnson the egg rolls, which were inside the home. It is at this point, when she opened the door, that he shoved her inside.
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-shoved-woman-because-he-wanted-eat-egg-rolls-her-house-claims-she-1370734
Police in Milton, Florida, have said in an offense report that the suspect, 44-year-old Keith Johnson, arrived at the victim’s house drunk, demanding to come in so that he could eat the Chinese foodstuff.
ABC affiliate WEARTV reported that Johnson kept ringing the doorbell despite the complainant repeatedly telling him she wasn’t going to let him in and didn’t want him in her home.
The victim claimed eventually that she said she would come out to give Johnson the egg rolls, which were inside the home. It is at this point, when she opened the door, that he shoved her inside.
https://www.newsweek.com/florida-man-shoved-woman-because-he-wanted-eat-egg-rolls-her-house-claims-she-1370734
Oh that clip is a classic! Next up, we go to Gainesville for this one. That’s the home of the Florida Gators, don’t you know? Well here’s the thing, impersonating an officer *NEVER* ends well especially for you, and especially if you happen to come across an actual police officer. So this happened.
The latest Florida Man tale: A Deltona man impersonating a police officer uses a public warning system on a real cop.
A Deltona man playing policeman caught up to a real one and used an illegal public address system and lights to warn a sheriff’s sergeant driving an unmarked vehicle in Pierson, Volusia sheriff’s officials said.
Shortly after that, Sgt. Todd Smith turned on his real blue lights and pulled over Thomas Farmer, 64.
Farmer was arrested on Tuesday and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, a third-degree felony.
When the sergeant investigated the incident further, he learned that Thomas had previously been warned twice by deputies to stop using his horn, loudspeakers and lights, as his behavior is consistent with impersonating a police officer, his arrest report shows.
https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190320/oh-florida-man-playing-policeman-never-ends-well-for-you/2
A Deltona man playing policeman caught up to a real one and used an illegal public address system and lights to warn a sheriff’s sergeant driving an unmarked vehicle in Pierson, Volusia sheriff’s officials said.
Shortly after that, Sgt. Todd Smith turned on his real blue lights and pulled over Thomas Farmer, 64.
Farmer was arrested on Tuesday and charged with impersonating a law enforcement officer, a third-degree felony.
When the sergeant investigated the incident further, he learned that Thomas had previously been warned twice by deputies to stop using his horn, loudspeakers and lights, as his behavior is consistent with impersonating a police officer, his arrest report shows.
https://www.gainesville.com/news/20190320/oh-florida-man-playing-policeman-never-ends-well-for-you/2
And let’s not forget that in Florida, the ladies can be just as crazy as the men are! Why does this story remind me of the scene at the beginning of Super Troopers where the stoners are discussing who owns the water in a beach property? We go to Melbourne (Florida, not Australia) for this story.
A Melbourne fisherman says he regularly fishes along State Road A1A, south of the Sebastian Inlet, and has done so without incident for 20-some years.
Until Saturday.
That’s when Jose Ortiz told WPEC-TV 12 News that Joyce Khatibi, who owns property nearby in Vero Beach, started yelling at him from a dock and aimed a hose in his direction. She told him he can’t fish at his favorite spot anymore, “because she owns the water.”
Indian River County sheriff’s deputies were called and Ortiz was initially asked to leave when they looked at online property records. But a follow-up look at the records showed that Khatibi’s property line didn’t extend into the water, WPEC found.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article228227534.html
Until Saturday.
That’s when Jose Ortiz told WPEC-TV 12 News that Joyce Khatibi, who owns property nearby in Vero Beach, started yelling at him from a dock and aimed a hose in his direction. She told him he can’t fish at his favorite spot anymore, “because she owns the water.”
Indian River County sheriff’s deputies were called and Ortiz was initially asked to leave when they looked at online property records. But a follow-up look at the records showed that Khatibi’s property line didn’t extend into the water, WPEC found.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article228227534.html
Finally this week, even Florida animals are crazy! The animals!!!!! Why is my voice so high? Anyway, if there’s one thing that I learned from the movie Up, it’s that squirrels are dicks. And if you do come into contact with one, get the nearest attack dog on it, but if you don’t have one, run! But this story seriously has everything. We go to Sarasota for this story.
“Frickin squirrel attacked me,” Robby Armstrong posted on his Facebook page on Sunday, a day after the rodent bit him. His security cameras caught the attack, one Armstrong said was not unusual in the neighborhood.
The squirrel, which he said was raised by his neighbors when it was a baby and then released, bit other residents. Among the other bite victims of the aggressive rodent: Armstrong’s stepson and adult members of the family that initially cared for it, News Channel 8 reported.
Armstrong had enough, he posted. “I chased him around and shot him with a BB gun about 10 times but he is still alive so be on the lookout for a crazy squirrel.”
On Wednesday, Armstrong told the Miami Herald he was “fine” and that the squirrel “is still roaming around.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article228166959.html
The squirrel, which he said was raised by his neighbors when it was a baby and then released, bit other residents. Among the other bite victims of the aggressive rodent: Armstrong’s stepson and adult members of the family that initially cared for it, News Channel 8 reported.
Armstrong had enough, he posted. “I chased him around and shot him with a BB gun about 10 times but he is still alive so be on the lookout for a crazy squirrel.”
On Wednesday, Armstrong told the Miami Herald he was “fine” and that the squirrel “is still roaming around.”
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article228166959.html
Oh and in case you’re wondering what our Florida Man Challenge story is, it’s Florida Man Arrested For Going Shopping After Job Interview. Florida Man, you’re the best. Keep doing what you’re doing. That’s it this week for our special all Florida Man edition of:
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[font size="8"]Stupidest State Contest: Selection Sunday
[br] [/font] [br]
16 states will enter and only one state will be crowned the new Top 10 Conservative Idiots Stupidest State!
Welcome back to round 1 week 3 of our action action action! Last week it was some great stuff as Mississippi knocked out conference favorite Indiana in a double overtime shocker to advance to the Family Values conference championship. Meanwhile, Wisconsin routed longtime Fiscal Irresponsibility conference favorites Nevada to advance to the conference championship! This week we are in Salt Lake City for all the week 3 action as Wisconsin will find out their Elite 8 opponent as favorite Michigan takes on hot newcomer Alaska! In our second matchup this week, it’s a Gun Nut duel to the death as two juggernauts of this conference – last year’s champion Florida will duke it out with longtime favorite Montana to advance to the Elite 8. Let’s break out those brackets and follow along!
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[font size="4"]Michigan Vs Alaska[/font]
[font size="4"]Michigan[/font]
Michigan is no stranger to the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference. As one of the most populous states in the Rust Belt, Michigan also has a ton of rural areas, and with rural areas comes rural politics, and the rural areas always tend to select the craziest politicians. Well, when you elect shitty politicians, as Michigan has done time and time again, you’re going to get some really shitty laws and policies, such as those that affected the city of Flint. Now in 3 years you would think that the city of Flint would be back to some level of normalcy, but guess what? They’re not! In fact they actually have celebrities helping them because the mayor wont!
Jaden Smith is helping the residents of Flint, Michigan, through a new initiative. The rapper, actor and co-founder of the eco-friendly company JUST Water has partnered with a local Flint church to deploy a mobile water treatment system.
The system is called "The Water Box" and it filters out lead and additional contaminants in water, according to a press release.
Flint's water crisis began in April 2014 after the city's water source was switched from the Detroit River to the Flint River, which resulted in city-wide lead contamination of public drinking water. First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint has been on the front line of the battle to restore drinkable water in the city. The church has also given out more than 5 million bottles of water to local residents.
In 2018, the free bottled water program set up by the state was ended under former Gov. Rick Snyder. However, a recent announcement by newly appointed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer states that the program will be reinstated . Bottle donations for the city have declined and accessing clean water continues to be an issue, which is why JUST Water stepped in to assist, according to a release.
https://www.abc15.com/entertainment/jaden-smith-is-helping-fix-the-flint-water-crisis-with-his-companys-mobile-lead-filtration-system
The system is called "The Water Box" and it filters out lead and additional contaminants in water, according to a press release.
Flint's water crisis began in April 2014 after the city's water source was switched from the Detroit River to the Flint River, which resulted in city-wide lead contamination of public drinking water. First Trinity Missionary Baptist Church in Flint has been on the front line of the battle to restore drinkable water in the city. The church has also given out more than 5 million bottles of water to local residents.
In 2018, the free bottled water program set up by the state was ended under former Gov. Rick Snyder. However, a recent announcement by newly appointed Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer states that the program will be reinstated . Bottle donations for the city have declined and accessing clean water continues to be an issue, which is why JUST Water stepped in to assist, according to a release.
https://www.abc15.com/entertainment/jaden-smith-is-helping-fix-the-flint-water-crisis-with-his-companys-mobile-lead-filtration-system
Well that’s a good point! So that happened. But really how is the Flint Water Crisis still a thing? Well, since this is the Fiscal Irresponsibility Conference, we did decide to do a little digging into Flint’s finances, and well, this happened. Get ready to boo.
The mayor of Flint, Michigan is set to receive a large pay raise after a chaotic city council meeting in which at least one member pushed back given the ongoing water crisis.
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver may get paid 36 percent more on her next taxpayer-paid paycheck, seeing her pay increase from $91,801 to $125,000 annually along with much smaller pay bumps for all other members of the city council. Several members of the Flint city council in attendance Friday were confused about when pay raises would take place or if it was even possible to table the timely matter, MLive.com first reported. A few members of the council said they did not support the pay raises given the city's ongoing water crisis problems, but a pair of others took no issue with the increase.
First Ward councilman Eric Mays defended the mayor's pay raise in a phone conversation with Newsweek Monday, saying not to "make it personal" and that the mayor's office as a whole is worth even more than $125,000.
"I wouldn't care if it was $150,000...the office is administering and making decisions with corporations in a pool of millions, tens of millions of dollars, and we [the council members] are only looking at a net gain of about $1,000...I'm not tripping over $125,000 salary.
https://www.newsweek.com/flint-michigan-mayor-pay-raise-karen-weaver-water-crisis-increase-chaos-1374692
Flint Mayor Karen Weaver may get paid 36 percent more on her next taxpayer-paid paycheck, seeing her pay increase from $91,801 to $125,000 annually along with much smaller pay bumps for all other members of the city council. Several members of the Flint city council in attendance Friday were confused about when pay raises would take place or if it was even possible to table the timely matter, MLive.com first reported. A few members of the council said they did not support the pay raises given the city's ongoing water crisis problems, but a pair of others took no issue with the increase.
First Ward councilman Eric Mays defended the mayor's pay raise in a phone conversation with Newsweek Monday, saying not to "make it personal" and that the mayor's office as a whole is worth even more than $125,000.
"I wouldn't care if it was $150,000...the office is administering and making decisions with corporations in a pool of millions, tens of millions of dollars, and we [the council members] are only looking at a net gain of about $1,000...I'm not tripping over $125,000 salary.
https://www.newsweek.com/flint-michigan-mayor-pay-raise-karen-weaver-water-crisis-increase-chaos-1374692
[font size="4"]Alaska[/font]
Alaska is a first timer in the tournament. They had a very strong regular season and finished near the top of this conference. You know if you’ve been following environmental news, oil companies for a long time have been trying to ravage Alaska’s nature preserves for that precious, precious crude. To the point where it’s affecting the state big time. In fact there’s that huge new pipeline being planned to the Gulf Of Alaska, and the person who is in charge of it is Alaska governor Mike Dunleavy. Who probably shouldn’t be trusted with $43 billion. Hell, he probably shouldn’t be trusted with $43.
It’s the $43 billion question for Gov. Mike Dunleavy: What to do with the Alaska LNG megaproject?
For now, the new governor wants to learn more about it before setting a course.
“(Dunleavy) will withhold judgment on this or any project until he and his administration can fully understand the costs, risks, and potential benefits," said Brett Huber, his senior policy adviser.
The plan involves building an 800-mile pipeline that would be used to ship North Slope gas to Nikiski, where a plant would liquefy it for shipment to Asian buyers. Dunleavy’s gas line adviser during the gubernatorial transition, former Gov. Sean Parnell, believes the complicated project should keep advancing until it wins federal approval.
https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2018/12/15/dunleavy-weighs-fate-of-43-billion-gas-line-plan/
For now, the new governor wants to learn more about it before setting a course.
“(Dunleavy) will withhold judgment on this or any project until he and his administration can fully understand the costs, risks, and potential benefits," said Brett Huber, his senior policy adviser.
The plan involves building an 800-mile pipeline that would be used to ship North Slope gas to Nikiski, where a plant would liquefy it for shipment to Asian buyers. Dunleavy’s gas line adviser during the gubernatorial transition, former Gov. Sean Parnell, believes the complicated project should keep advancing until it wins federal approval.
https://www.adn.com/business-economy/energy/2018/12/15/dunleavy-weighs-fate-of-43-billion-gas-line-plan/
Yes, clap for Alaska! Do it!!!! So I think this might sum up the financial state that the state of Alaska is in, and this might be the most Alaska story ever. What happens when you’re the only tenant of a place and you get evicted? Oh and the tenant in question happens to be a cat.
A cat named Stormy that has spent more than six years as a fixture in a remote Alaska general store is being forced out after officials notified the store owners that the cat's presence violates food safety standards.
The Fritz Creek General Store near the small city of Homer has been home for Stormy since 2012, The Homer News reported Thursday.
The slightly overweight black cat often lounges on one of the store's wooden chairs or solicits customers for a scratch on her head.
The state Food Safety and Sanitation Program received a complaint about Stormy and an environmental health officer saw the cat in the store, said Jeremy Ayers, section manager for the agency.
Read more: https://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/strange_news/cat-that-lived-years-in-alaska-general-store-gets-evicted/article_f3c466e0-a914-5f24-b08e-e0b43c18bab1.html
The Fritz Creek General Store near the small city of Homer has been home for Stormy since 2012, The Homer News reported Thursday.
The slightly overweight black cat often lounges on one of the store's wooden chairs or solicits customers for a scratch on her head.
The state Food Safety and Sanitation Program received a complaint about Stormy and an environmental health officer saw the cat in the store, said Jeremy Ayers, section manager for the agency.
Read more: https://www.valleymorningstar.com/news/strange_news/cat-that-lived-years-in-alaska-general-store-gets-evicted/article_f3c466e0-a914-5f24-b08e-e0b43c18bab1.html
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is…[/font]
Oh this was a no brainer, Michigan won Alaska in the first overtime by a score of 10! Final score 77 – 67, they will move on to face Wisconsin.
[font size="4"]Florida Vs Montana[/font]
[font size="4"]Florida[/font]
Oh the Sunshine State needs absolutely no introduction. Last year they made a conference change from being in the Batshit Conference, where they were long time members, to being members of the Gun Nut Conference, where they won their first title in years. But last year’s championships had absolutely no rest on their morals because they had a very strong, dominating season that saw them nearly undefeated in this tournament. And that’s pretty strong. So what did Florida do on the one year anniversary of the Parkland shooting? Well we’re not going to talk about that yet. But we will talk about Florida teenagers – yes, even the teenagers are crazy in Florida!
Residents of the Boyette Springs neighborhood in Riverview, Florida, are accustomed to the band of peacocks that has roamed their community for years.
“People will stop and take pictures because it’s a rarity, you don’t see this kind of thing going on anywhere else,” said Karen Coggins, FOX 13 reports.
But neighbors in the Tampa Bay area town say the peacocks have now attracted a new problem: Teens armed with pellet guns, who shoot and kill the birds, according to the TV station.
“My biggest concern is the children in the neighborhood,” said neighbor Amy Johansen, WFLA reports. “If one of those bullets goes and gets them, it just — it would be heartbreaking.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article228354744.html
“People will stop and take pictures because it’s a rarity, you don’t see this kind of thing going on anywhere else,” said Karen Coggins, FOX 13 reports.
But neighbors in the Tampa Bay area town say the peacocks have now attracted a new problem: Teens armed with pellet guns, who shoot and kill the birds, according to the TV station.
“My biggest concern is the children in the neighborhood,” said neighbor Amy Johansen, WFLA reports. “If one of those bullets goes and gets them, it just — it would be heartbreaking.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article228354744.html
Well, speaking of that, this could provide an insight into how absolutely batshit fucking crazy the Sunshine State is, anyone can get a gun without a permit! Yes, anyone. You read that right. You can just walk into a store and buy a gun, sight unseen. That is an absolutely scary thought.
The shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, which killed 17 people, has put the focus on Florida's gun laws. For instance, the state doesn't require a permit or a license for someone to own a gun.
Here are some facts about the gun laws in the Sunshine State, from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action:
The right to bear arms is found in the first article of Florida's constitution: "The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed..."
You don't need a permit or license to buy a gun, nor do you have to register a firearm.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/15/us/florida-gun-laws-trnd/index.html
Here are some facts about the gun laws in the Sunshine State, from the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence and the National Rifle Association's Institute for Legislative Action:
The right to bear arms is found in the first article of Florida's constitution: "The right of the people to keep and bear arms in defense of themselves and of the lawful authority of the state shall not be infringed..."
You don't need a permit or license to buy a gun, nor do you have to register a firearm.
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/15/us/florida-gun-laws-trnd/index.html
[font size="4"]Montana[/font]
Montana is another state that absolutely needs no introduction. They are one of the reigning kings in the Gun Nut Conference. When you have mostly rural areas, no cell phone reception, and a scorching case of boredom, what’s your main source of entertainment? Shooting shit up! Montana loves to shoot the shit, both literally and figuratively! I mean come on, this is the state that elected and reelected body slamming wannabe tough guy Greg Gianforte as its’ only representative. So what is happening in Montana that they need their guns? Well this might be the most Montana story ever.
John Glen Stevens, the former undersheriff of Cascade County, was arrested Thursday in connection with an investigation into the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO).
Stevens faces a felony theft charge and was released on his own recognizance.
In December, the Cascade County Attorney’s Office announced the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) of the Montana Department of Justice was investigating “financial irregularities” in regards to some purchases made by CCSO employees.
Court documents state an agent was assigned to investigate allegations of theft occurring within the sheriff’s office in August of 2018. The agent found three firearms that had been issued to or were under Stevens’ control during his employment were missing.
https://ktvq.com/news/crime-watch/2019/03/21/montana-ex-lawman-facing-theft-charges-for-keeping-guns-after-he-retired/
Stevens faces a felony theft charge and was released on his own recognizance.
In December, the Cascade County Attorney’s Office announced the Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) of the Montana Department of Justice was investigating “financial irregularities” in regards to some purchases made by CCSO employees.
Court documents state an agent was assigned to investigate allegations of theft occurring within the sheriff’s office in August of 2018. The agent found three firearms that had been issued to or were under Stevens’ control during his employment were missing.
https://ktvq.com/news/crime-watch/2019/03/21/montana-ex-lawman-facing-theft-charges-for-keeping-guns-after-he-retired/
And in case you are wondering about Montana’s gun credentials, they are currently in the running as one of the unsafest states in the union. Yes, think about it – Montana has one of the highest concentrations of guns and gun nuts in the country. But they also do not practice gun safety in that state, since they don’t lock ‘em up either.
While 60 percent of Montana households own guns, our state has no law requiring the safe storage of firearms.
As a consequence, thousands of children live in Montana homes with loaded and unlocked firearms.
Children yearly bring firearms to schools or parties and are killed or injured by firearms they should not have accessed. We know that suicide by teens in Montana most often occurs by firearm. These public health tragedies can be reduced by better storage of firearms by adults.
Two laws have been proposed by Reps. Mary Ann Dunwell (House District 84) and Moffie Funk (House District 82) to address this glaring deficiency in Montana firearm law. Currently, these bills (House bills 480 and 477, respectively) are stalled and facing severe Republican opposition.
https://missoulian.com/opinion/letters/unsafe-gun-storage-in-montana/article_6f743442-5ce7-5800-865c-06177998fb14.html
As a consequence, thousands of children live in Montana homes with loaded and unlocked firearms.
Children yearly bring firearms to schools or parties and are killed or injured by firearms they should not have accessed. We know that suicide by teens in Montana most often occurs by firearm. These public health tragedies can be reduced by better storage of firearms by adults.
Two laws have been proposed by Reps. Mary Ann Dunwell (House District 84) and Moffie Funk (House District 82) to address this glaring deficiency in Montana firearm law. Currently, these bills (House bills 480 and 477, respectively) are stalled and facing severe Republican opposition.
https://missoulian.com/opinion/letters/unsafe-gun-storage-in-montana/article_6f743442-5ce7-5800-865c-06177998fb14.html
[font size="4"]And The Winner Is…[/font]
OH MY GOD… Montana has come down to the wire and they’re just behind Florida by a score of 81 – 80, here we go. Montana is coming with the basket… oh, they MISS!!! THEY MISS!!! It’s over, Florida hangs on by one point, they will win and go on to face Oregon! Oh my god, that was nearly the upset of the century there. But Florida moves on to the Elite 8, Montana goes home. Final score 81 – 80.
[font size="4"]Next Week:[/font]
Next week, we are done with the 1st round as the Elite 8 is beginning to shape up! It’s getting to be very exciting! For Round 1 Week 4, we’re live at the home of the Oregon Ducks, the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon, and it’s a battle of the Batshit Conference as Georgia takes on Texas to play Kentucky, while Ohio and Alabama battle to play Mississippi in a Family Values faceoff! Stay tuned!
[font size="8"]And Now This:[/font]
[font size="8”]The Dirty Heads[/font]
Ladies and gentlemen, my next guest is one of the foremost bands of summer, you can see them on tour with 311 this summer. Their latest album is called “Swim Team”. Playing their song “Celebrate”, give it up for the Dirty Heads!
Thank you Salt Lake City! We had a great time on this very short tour, we are back home in Anaheim next week. See you next week!
Credits
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Initech Productions: Yes, We Got The Memo
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Thank you 